Rope package



July 26, 1955 Filed April 26, 1950 INVENTOR.

A T TORNE YS.

Unite sus ROPE PACKAGE Application April 26, 1950, Serial N o. 158,109

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-52) This invention relates to a rope package and method of forming the same. y

Y Rope has heretofore been supplied to the market in coils of 1200 feet in length. The rope coils are helically formed in layers and then banding cords are passed around the plurality of layers and made fast. There are customarily three or more of such banding cords. The rope is then covered with hurlap which is rather snugly placed about the coil. The arrangement of the coil is such that the rope is preferably drawn from the inside of the coil and from one end of the package but not the other in order to avoid undue twisting. Frequently, the end of the rope is pulled from the wrong end of the inside of the coil. Difficulty also occurs in severing the banding cords which hold the coil which require unfastening before the rope can be drawn from the coil. of such coils is difficult because of the unevenness of the package.

This invention overcomes the above-mentioned difficulties, one of the objects of the invention being to provide a package making banding of the coil unnecessary and thus unnecessary to remove these bandings before pulling an end of the coil therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package which may be so arranged that the user cannot make a mistake as to which end of the coil he shall pull the end of the rope from.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package which will have uniform ends so that the packages Stacking Patent may be stacked one upon the other in a vertical pile without the danger of falling as was the case with burlap covered rope packages.

Another object of this invention ls to provide a package of better appearance than the burlap package heretofore utilized.

Another object of this invention is to provide packages of different sizes of rope but of uniform outer diameter causing such Variation between the package as occurs to be in the hollow center or eye of the rope coil rather vthan in the outside diameter, which has heretofore been customary.

Another object of this invention is to form the coil of rope on a collapsible mandrel so that the coil may be withdrawn from the mandrel and placed in the package by sliding the same from the mandrel.

Another object of this invention is to provide varying adjustments of spindles for varying sizes of rope which are to be formed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims` In the accompanying drawings: v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rope package in its closed position;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l showing the fragmental upper part of the package but with the packthe coil.

age open and a length of rope extending from the open end;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the package inverted from the position shown in Figure l showing the fragniental portion of the bottom of the package;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a sectional View similar to Figure 4 but of a modified form;

Figure 6 is a perspective View similar to Figure 3 but iliustrating a modified form of bottom end;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a coil of rope loaded into the package before the last of the two end walls are positioned thereon; i

Figure 8 is an elevation showing a fragmental portion f of the mandrel upon which the rope is wound;

Figure 9 is a View similar to Figure 7 but showing one of the heads of the coiling device removed and the container as positioned over the rope coii;

Figure l() shows sectional views of several packages each containing different size rope.

in proceeding with this invention I provide a tube preferably of octagonal shape in cross section and secure one end wall across the end of the tube in a plane at right angles to the axis of the tube. Preferably, this is the top wall of the package when finished, because the securing of this end wall may be more uniformly had when the box is empty and a better looking top may be provided. Rope is then coiled upon a mandrel which is adjustable as to diameter so that the desired length rope in the package when coiled on the mandrel will present an outside diameter substantially the same as the inside diameter of the octagonal tube. The mandrel is of the collapsing type so that after the rope is wound thereon the mandrel may be collapsed and the rope placed into the tubular container against the end wall which has already been secured in place. Then, the other end wall is positioned in place, which end wall usually becomes the bottoni of the package and the securing may take any one of several forms. The end wall of the container which is to be the top and from which the rope is to be drawn is scored so that the portion of the end wall which comes in register with the eye or hollow center of the coil may be knocked out of the end wall and the rope may be pulled from this end. No scoring will occur in the other end wall through which the rope should not be drawn. Some window may also be provided in the top wall so that the quantity of rope remaining in the package may be seen by inspection. The same sized tubular container would be used for other sizes of rope by utilizing mandrels of different diameter to provide the proper size eye depending upon the size of the rope which is packaged. All completed packages `are thus uniform regardless of the rope sizes and may be readily stacked for storage or shipment.

With reference to the drawings, a tubular cardboard container is designated generally 10 and is of .octagonal shape in cross section providing eight side walls 11. A coil of rope designated generally 12 comprises an outer helical layer 13 (see Fig. 7) which contacts the inner surfaces of each of the side walls 11 with the convolutions in contact throughout the extent of the coil. Inwardly from this outer layer there are additional helical layers 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, each helically disposed and extending axially in a layer with the layers in contact with each other, leaving a hollow center or eye 20 of the coil, which eye is substantial and may vary in diameter such for example as from one fifth the diameter of the coil upwards to larger fractions of the diameter of The end of the coil will be in the inner layer 19 and this end will be pulled through one end of the coil for drawing the rope therefrom.

In formation, this coil is wound upon an adjustable mandrel 21 A(see Fig. 8) between heads 23 and Z2. The size of the mandrel 21 will be predetermined so that when the standard length of coil, usually 1260 feet is finished, the outside diameter 24 of the coil will be substantially the inside diameter of the tubular container 10. A strap 25 is secured to the mandrel and while winding occurs is fastened along the inner surface of head 23, upon completion of the coil, the strap will be positioned as shown in dotted lines to hold the coil in place. The head 23 will then be removed by releasing nut 23 and the mandrel 21 will be collapsed. The container may be positioned over the coil. The false head 26 may then be used for sliding the coil from the mandrel into the container, while letting the strap slide along the coil such, for instance, as in the space at the angle of the walls.

The octagonal tubular container 1t? prior to positioning the rope therein is provided with a top wall 30 (see Fig. 1) which is of cardboard of an octagonal shape and of a size to extend over the edges of the walls 11. Flanges 31 are bent downwardly on the outer surface of the side walls 11 and then staples 32 are used to secure the anges 31 along the outer surface of the Walls 11. This may be easily secured and the staples clinched over when the box is empty and will provide an end wall of satisfactory appearance. This end wall is scored as at 33 in the form of a circle at the center of the end wall so that this center portion 34 may be knocked out of the end wall to permit of a rope 35, as shown in Figure 2, to be withdrawn therefrom, and this scoring will be located at the proper end of the package so that the rope may be drawn from the proper end of the package.

A slot 36 radially located with reference to the axis of the package is provided in this end wall 30 between the center opening and the edge of the wall so that the rope may be exposed, that the number of helical coils remaining may be seen. Graduations 37 may be marked along this slotted window opening 36 to assist in showing the length of rope which remains in the package.

After the end wall 30 has been placed in position and the head 23 is removed, the container may be then slid over the coil as shown in Figure 9, and the false head 26 may be used to slide the coil on the collapsed mandrel into the container. No bandings are necessary about the coil in such a container. A bottom wall 40 is then secured in position. This bottom wall, as shown in Figure 3, is shaped to slide into the octagonal tube so that it will rest against the rope package While flanges 41 extend along the inner surface of the walls 11 and may be stapled in position by staples 43 extending through the anges 41 and wall 11. ln some cases the wall 11 has a ap 42 (Fig. 4) to extend over the flange and be clenched by this staple. In other cases, hoW ever, the bottom wall 44 (Fig. 5) instead of having flanges extend along the walls 11 may be used and is of three plies as shown in Figure 6, in which case lianges 45 on the walls 11 will then extend over the bottom wall 44 and may be secured thereto by staples 47 or other securing means such, for instance, as glue. The staple 47 will pass through two of the three plies 48, 49, Si) with the corrugated paper 51, 52 between and be clenched between -plies 49 and 5() in the area of the corrugated paper 52 so as not to engage the rope within.

It will be understood that it a package using a different diameter or sized rope is to be utilized the mandrel 21 will be adjusted to a different diameter so that theoutside of the coil 24 will be the size of the inside of the tubular construction and such variation as occurs between packages of different sized rope will occur in the hollow center or eye; thus, all packages will be uniform externally as shown in Figure 10 where three packages 55, 56 and 57 are formed with different size rope 58, 59, 60 having different eyes 61, 62 and 63.

The rope in this package is also provided with marks iii) 46 at different points along its length to show the length as it is drawn from the package, which is of great convenience in dispensing the rope, making it unnecessary to measure the same.

I claim:

l. The method of forming a Vplurality of similar rope packages each of the same outer diameter and containing rope of the same length but of a different cross sectional size comprising supporting for rotation a plurality of different diameter mandrels each having spaced heads, winding each size rope in superimposed helical coils on different diameter mandrels wherein packs of rope having generally cylindrical outer surfaces are formed, varying the diameters of the mandrels employed inversely relative to the size of the rope and so chosen as to diameters that the said Cylindrical surface of each pack is substantially the same diameter for all coils, removing a head from one end of each of the mandrels, providing stiff tubular containers of uniform inner diameters to contact the outer surface of any rope pack sliding the containers over the ends of the mandrels from which the heads are removed, and then withdrawing from the mandrels each rope pack and container together so that a helically coiled pack of rope is in each container.

2. The method of forming a rope package comprising supporting for rotation a collapsible mandrel having heads spaced a distance apart corresponding to the axis of the coil to be wound, winding a single strand of rope in superimposed helical coils on the mandrel between said heads to provide a generally cylindrical outer surface, holding the superimposed end coils in place, removing one of the heads from the mandrel, providing a stiff tubular container, forming the outer cylindrical surface of the rope and inner surface of the tubular container of such sizes that the outer helical rope coils will contact the inner surface of the container and then sliding the container over the end of the mandrel from which the head is removed and along the outer surface of said helical coils to contact the same and then collapsing the mandrel and withdrawing from the mandrel the coils of rope and the container and releasing the holding of the superimposed end coil as the rope is withdrawn from the mandrel.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the tubular container is provided with one end wall prior to sliding the container onto the rope pack and a closure is applied to the other end of the container after withdrawing the container with the rope therein from the mandrel.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the tubular container is provided with one end wall prior to sliding the container onto the helical coils and a closure is applied to the other end of the container after withdrawing7 the container with the rope therein from the mandrel.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the tubular container is of polygonal shape and the holding of the end coils is by a strap located in a space provided by the angular formation of the walls of the polygonal container and the strap slides in such space as the coils and container are removed from the mandrel.

6. A rope package comprising a container having a substantially stiff tubular supporting wall formed of panels defining a container of polygonal cross section of at least tive panels, a helical layer of rope having an axial extent greater than its diameter and coaxial with the axis of the tubular container engaging the inner surface of said wall with additional helical layers inwardly thereof leaving an eye or open center of uniform diameter and of at least one fifth of the first named diameter,

, end walls attached to the supporting wall and extending normal to the axis of the container closely adjacent the Vopposite ends of said rope layers, one of the end walls being provided with means to form an opening therein, said layers of rope being unbound and the outer layer defining a substantially cylindrical surface which directly and tangentially contacts each of the panels of the tubular `container, said walls being the sole means for holding the coils in superimposed layers.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Scott Jan. l1, 1916 Shearn Mar. 11, 1919 Abbott Oct. l0, 1922 lo Brewster July 12, 1927 

